


Sighs to Sleep

by Ortholeine



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Sharing a Bed, big inner dilemnas, it's a tad short, quiet talk, sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 02:18:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8384176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ortholeine/pseuds/Ortholeine
Summary: James Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch sometimes allow their daily work/lives to come between their relationship. While going to sleep they take just a few seconds to talk about it.





	

There’s a lot of tension between them when they go to bed that night. Glynda wishes that the night could have ended on a better note. After his insistence at taking a moment for themselves that made them late to the meeting with Pyrrha, the mention of aura transfer, and the previous day’s meeting where they found each other on opposite sides from just the smallest of moments. His face when he finally acknowledged her glare that was directed towards him was both satisfying and sickening when she realized what this war was doing to them, what it would end up doing to them all.

She knows that they had originally gone their separate ways due to inconsolable differences in career choices, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t still care for or understand him. He was a soldier through and through, and would probably always be a solider. His mind didn’t take into account the same nuances Ozpin’s or Qrow’s might. His mind didn’t understand people on big and small levels the same way hers did.

Glynda tried not to be petty, but she also recognized that she couldn’t let things go like she used to when she was younger. She had to stand up for her opinions and if someone disagreed with her or didn’t like that, then that was their problem. She is not responsible for their emotions.

It is these thoughts that occupy her head as she slips on the pajama set she’d set out that morning. She was so occupied with her boiling blood and slightly confused emotions; she didn’t hear him come in like he had been since the ball put on by the students. Since she had allowed him another chance, and then taken him up on his offer.

He watched her from the threshold, hovering between one movement and the next in the shadows. Glynda is pulling the covers down on her side when she notices him. They both still, and the silence is deafening. After a few moments, she gets in the bed anyway, and he walks into the room to the wardrobe. He gets undressed and she tries to not watch his body move, equal parts man and machine. She pulls her fingers through her hair one last time before laying down, tensing slightly as the bed dips rather drastically at the added weight.

They say nothing to each other, and she puts her glasses on the nightstand and turns out the lamp. There’s no contact, no movement, between them for some time. The moon is well and high in the sky before he sighs and gently places the cold metal hand on her shoulder peeking out from the covers.

“Glynda,” he murmurs, his voice somewhat roughened from unused.

She rolls over to face him and pretends his face isn’t as blurry as her eyes tell her it is. His hands lifts and gently falls on the other shoulder, bringing his head in closer to hers. Things are significantly less blurry now and she waits in somewhat angry silence.

“Glynda,” he starts again, pausing for just a moment, “do you think I made the wrong decision?”

She sighs and closes her eyes, shifting on her side until her front is pushed against his front, and their arms and wrapped around each other.

“I don’t know if there would have been a right one, James. Everything is so tense right now, what with Ozpin keeping secrets and Qrow showing up out of the blue like that.”

“But what Ozpin said…I could have ruined everything because of my stupid pride. That doesn’t bother you?”

“It bothers me that it bothers you, so in a way yes,” she pauses to look up at him, pulling back just enough to make eye contact.

“But James, no one can predict another’s actions whether or not they’re on our side. All we can do is prepare in the ways we know best.”

She doesn’t hear it but she does feel it when he pushes out a very heavy breath of air. Glynda closes her eyes and pressed her head against his neck. James’ arms tighten around her and for a moment it’s just them in this bed, pale moonlight just barely breaking through the curtains.

At some point, they loosen their hold on each other and fall into a sleep that is neither light nor deep. When he awakes first come morning, they are still wrapped around each other as if no time had passed. He just lays there, ignoring the engrained militaristic need to be up and moving before the sun, and watches Glynda’s body in sleep. The years had made her tense and proud in the day time, and wary and ever-more watchful at night. But when she was asleep, in a sleep so deep he doubted much could wake her, the peaceful and youthful aspects of her countenance hidden so well behind glasses and a tight bun came to the forefront.

He found himself drifting back to sleep not too much later, and woke a second time to the press of warm but dry lips to his forehead. They shared a quiet smile and yet again began their day as General Ironwood and Deputy Headmistress and Teacher Goodwitch.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is short, and doesn't seem to really match the rest of my Ironwitch stories, but I've been re-watching Volume 3 in preparation for Volume 4 and had some small inspiration. Let me know what you think in the comments!


End file.
